


when i'm with you

by MavenMorozova



Category: Cats (1998), Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Genre: Angst, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, My First Work in This Fandom, One Shot, Past Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Post-Canon, scared demeter, worried tugger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24218800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MavenMorozova/pseuds/MavenMorozova
Summary: After Munk's fight with Macavity, he takes her to a human cafe to cheer her up.
Relationships: Demeter & Jellylorum (Cats), Demeter/Munkustrap (Cats), Munkustrap & Rum Tum Tugger
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	when i'm with you

**Author's Note:**

> my first cats fanfic...written for @porgs-are-space-puffins on Tumblr for my 500 followers celebration...let's see how this goes! hope you enjoy!  
> **written for the hogwartsonline May OWLS prompt: _memories_

Demeter could feel herself shaking. Her tail was spiked and fluffed, her ears were laid almost flat on her head, and her spine was arched. All she could pay attention to in this one moment was her tormentor--or, he had been, at least, fighting with her closest friend, besides her sister, Bombalurina, or course.

All she could see were claws slashing into striped grey fur and Munkustrap retaliating, his teeth bared as he pounced on top of Macavity. Macavity, who’d done unspeakable things to her. All she could hear was the terrible sound of angry mewls and the scratching of unsheathed claws sliding uncomfortably across the cement pavement. All she could feel was unadulterated fear and that of the cats around her.

The next moment Demeter could sense, it was silent and dark, unnaturally so. She noticed through her fear-induced haze that the streetlamps had gone out, and only the full Jellicle moon shown. The other cats were laying about on the pavement, stunned almost as much as she was.

“What just happened?” Demeter hissed to Cassandra, who was quietly licking her shoulder next to her. The beautiful, poised Burmese looked at her nonchalantly, which made Demeter’s fur bristle. Had she not noticed that Munkustrap, their leader, had almost died? And where in the Heavyside Layer was Macavity?

Seeming to notice Demester’s frustration, Cassandra sighed and quit cleaning herself. “Macavity escaped,” she intoned melodically, gesturing with her head to where two electric cords were lying haphazardly on top of the old car. “He took the electricity with him.” Seeming to think that this was an adequate enough explanation, she resumed her grooming.

“Where is Munkustrap?” Demeter asked her, irritated. “Is he alright?”

Cassandra’s nose twitched as she looked up again. “He’s over with Tugger.” When she said the other tom’s name, her voice was leveled and calm as always, so much unlike the other queens whenever the Rum Tum Tugger was mentioned.

Demeter followed her gaze to where Munkustrap was lying, spent, on an old rotting cushion, his brother leaning over him with a worried expression. She’d never seen Tugger so agitated, but here he was, eyes wide and tail still, hips uncharacteristically in one spot, unmoving.

She padded over cautiously and sat next to her best friend, tail wrapped around her paws, feeling something more burgeoning within her. She barely understood what was going on, but she knew one thing--if Munkustrap didn’t make it out of this ordeal, Demeter wasn’t sure that she would either.

“Please…” she whispered in his ear, ducking her head to do so. Tugger’s ears perked and he shot her a peculiar look, a knowing look. His eyes carried a haunting expression, so much so that it crossed Demeter’s mind that he barely looked like the same person at all. They exchanged a pained look, and Tugger placed a paw on Munkustrap’s chest. “He’s at least breathing,” he meowed in relief.

Demeter nodded silently, a great weight on her chest lifted. He would be okay.

***

The next morning, the Jellicles milled around lazily, some chatting with each other, others preparing for their journeys home to wherever they lived in London. There was a collective attitude of happiness due to Grizabella’s ascension to the Heavyside Layer, and even those who’d been slow to accept her back to the tribe were pleased with Old Deuteronomy’s decision to allow her to begin a new life. She’d been so mangy and lost that there really had been no other option.

Demeter was curled beside Munkustrap, their tails entwined unconsciously. She woke to find him looking at her through slowly blinking, heavy-lidded eyes, just before he jumped to his paws and looked about frantically. “What time is it?” Munkustrap asked, panicked.

Demeter stared at him. “So...you’re okay, then?” she murmured, ignoring his question. “Your brother and I were sure…well, anyways.”

“Macavity did something to me, yes,” Munkustrap agreed, settling into a sitting position. “I think he used a type of magic that I haven’t seen before. Not any type that Mr. Mistoffelees can use, anyway.”

“Of course not,” Demeter scoffed. “He’s  _ Macavity _ . He’s evil.” Her tone was unintentionally angry, and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself. “I’m sorry,” she said after a moment. “But...you know what he did to me.”

Munkustrap nodded in apology and rubbed his head affectionately against hers, and Demeter felt herself begin to purr. “Why don’t we check out that cafe a few streets away?” he asked her. “You know, the one where they serve us fish?”

Ah, yes. It was one of Demeter’s favorite places in the world, introduced to her by her sister not too long ago. It was one of the few places near the junkyard that didn’t shoo away the cats (and unfortunately, dogs) that came to call. “Yes, please!” Demeter agreed.

“You two go ahead and do that,” came a voice behind them. It was Jellylorum, her motherly face pleasant in the morning light. “I’ll make sure everyone gets home safe.” It had certainly been a long night, having the usual-- _ festivities _ \--of course, but also the new drama with Grizabella, which had taken everyone by surprise, but no one more so, Demeter suspected, than Jellylorum.

“Thank you,” Demeter told the older queen. Jelly nodded really, befitting of her status in the tribe, and padded over to round up the kittens. Demeter cocked her head at Munkustrap. “Ready?”

The grey tom grinned and they headed off, pelts brushing. Their closeness sent a bought of butterflies into Demeter's stomach and she shivered slightly.

The cafe wasn’t far. They reached it by the opening, just as the bell sounded and the human behind the tinted pink glass flipped the sign in the window. It was so homey and comforting to Demeter that she felt herself walking around the outdoor area, brushing her scent glands on the chair and table legs. Munkustrap followed her around, purring.

The doorbell twinkled and a human stepped outside, adorned in an old frayed apron. When she saw the two cats she smiled gleefully and clasped her hands together. She cooed a little in that strange human language Demeter still didn't understand as she bent over to run her wrinkled fingers through their fur.

Munkustrap stepped forward, relishing her fond touch, but Demeter shrank back under one of the tables; she was unused to such affection. Munkustrap turned his head to look at her, noticing her absence. Demeter felt her whiskers twitch nervously. “She usually just puts out the food and leaves me alone,” she muttered.

“Come on,” said Munkustrap, padding over to her and nudging her toward the human. “See? She’s already going away. I bet she’ll be back with the fish!”

Soon enough, the woman emerged again with a shallow saucer of milk and a bowl of tuna. She patted Munkustrap on the head before retreating to one of the metal chairs and sinking into it with what Demeter supposed was a smile on her face.

“Thank you, Munk,” Demeter whispered to the grey tom softly. “I really needed this. And...I’m sure you did, too.”

Munkustrap nodded and brushed his tale down her pelt with a little flick. “Anything for you, dear.”

Did she really just hear that from him? Perhaps Demeter was imagining things, but she could have sworn--

Well, they would have time to discuss feelings in a moment. For now, Demeter lapped up the milk and dove into the tuna, her stomach making a pleased sound. She caught Munkustrap gazing at her in the corner of her vision and felt a familiar sensation of giddiness flood through her. When they’d finished eating, she tapped his ear playfully and immediately felt like a kitten again. “Thanks for fighting Macavity,” she said in a low voice. “Perhaps he wasn’t, but it  _ felt  _ like he was charging directly at me, and I just froze…”

She suddenly noticed that Munkustrap was closer than he’d been a moment ago, his breath warm on her face. His tongue poked out and he lapped her cheek softly, purring all the while. Well. If she’d thought that perhaps he liked her before, she was sure now. There was a whole nother year until the next Jellicle moon, but who was to say that they couldn’t have some time together now?

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! as always, if you enjoyed, please leave kudos/comments of praise/feedback!


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